


By Your Side

by quinnovative



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: also i love maggie, feel free to send in prompts, i'm weak for Kara and Alex being the best sisters in the universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 22:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9291581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quinnovative/pseuds/quinnovative
Summary: Alex and Kara sister-centric one shots. Feel free to send in prompts.





	1. Chapter 1 -Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This story is a compilation of Kara/Alex sister-centric one shots.
> 
> Prompt (Guest): Alex comforting and taking care of Kara after a really bad nightmare or fight and she is too scared to sleep.

There was no light where she was, only reflections of silvery glints from the moon, scattering through the building. There were shadows, and the gnawing sensation that something was wrong. Thunder cracked as the wind shrieked and the structure groaned. A large figure darted behind Kara and she spun around, just as it disappeared back to shadow. 

A scream pierced the still night air. 

Alex.

Kara rushed to the sound, ignoring the dark masses lurking in each corner. She arrived at a long corridor, trying desperately to use her vision to locate Alex, but it wasn’t working.   
She couldn’t see. She couldn’t find her in the sea of old metal and rusted hinges. 

Another scream slit the silence, jagged and pained. Kara tried to call to Alex. Her voice was gone. She threw open the fifth door, revealing Alex behind a curtain of thick smoke. An alien, massive and horrid, was tearing Alex apart, attacking her, torturing her. 

Kara tried to run but her limbs were slow and her mind fuzzy. She beat at the creature, tried to shove it away. She howled and cried silently, the night consuming her sound. The alien slammed her against the ground before disappearing in a fog of dust and darkness. 

Kara peeled herself off the floor, fighting an ache shredding through her body, and scrambled to Alex. Crimson blood stained Kara’s suit, warm as it seeped through the fabric and saturated her skin. She reached for Alex, her pulse was gone, her were eyes glassy; and finally, Kara was able to scream.

Dark. It was the first thing she noticed as she shot up. There was not an ounce of light expect for a few blinking blurs. A fistful of bedsheets spilled from her hand, her chest was heaving and she thought she might be responsible for the high pitched noise ringing through the darkness. 

She struggled against her comforter, trashing until it loosened. A tightness strangled her lungs, strangled the air. She needed to find light, she needed to see. 

She couldn’t breathe.

Alex, her mind cried out against the confusion. 

Her heart pounded a wild symphony in her chest.

Alex.

What happened? Where was she?

Alex.

As Kara fumbled around her fingers collided with her phone. Was she at home? Was Alex okay? 

Through tear-blurred vision, Kara dialed Alex’s number and with each passing ring, the space between Kara’s breathing decreased, her body trembling against the headboard of her bed.

“Kara?” Alex’s voice was soft and tired. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

“Alex,” Kara breathed out in a shaky sigh of relief. It was just a dream – a nightmare. A sob slipped from her lips, unbridling the sliver of composure she’d clung to.   
“Kara, talk to me.” Alex came through the line, this time her voice was alert and laced with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no. I-I’m fine. I’m – I’m okay,” she said, through a lump in her throat, words heavy with tears as she squeezed a pillow against her stomach, hugging it to her body.

In her own apartment, Alex sat up and threw off the sheets, already getting dressed. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Kara hiccupped, trying to slow her breathing, but fragments of the nightmare kept coming back, tormenting her all over again. She nodded as tears slid down her cheeks. Then, remembering Alex couldn’t see her, mumbled a broken ‘yeah’ into the phone.

“Do you want me to come over?” Alex asked, anticipating Kara’s answer and knowing it would differ from what she really wanted.

“No, i-it’s okay,” she said after a moment. “I d-don’t want to bother you.”

“What if I told you I was already on my way?” Alex said as she pulled on her shoes before slipping out into the hall and locking the door.

Kara took a deep breath and Alex noted how it shook. “Then I’d s-say you’re the b-best sister in the galaxy.”

Despite everything, Alex felt a small smile tug at her lips. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes tops, but I’ll stay on the line, okay?”

“Yeah,” Kara said with a sniffle, trying to focus on Alex’s voice as the minutes passed and she trembled in the darkness.

When she heard the door crack open, was able to see Alex through the walls, Kara launched herself out of bed and flung her arms around Alex the second she stepped into the apartment. 

“Hey, hey,” the brunette said, immediately returning the hug, pulling Kara close with one hand while rubbing her shoulder with the other. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” 

Kara shook her head against Alex’s neck, tears slipping down her face, despite her attempts to stop them. 

“What happened?” Alex asked gently, holding Kara tighter.

“You died. In my dream. I-I couldn’t save you,” she mumbled into the fabric of her big sister’s shirt.

Oh. “Well, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. I’m okay and you’re going to be okay, and everything’s all right.” Alex refused to mention that, in their line of work, one of them losing the other was possible. Terrifying and petrifying and possible. It haunted Alex every single day, but she trusted herself and she trusted her sister and she trusted the work they did.

More what-ifs and possibilities weren’t what Kara needed, so Alex hugged her little sister securely and wiped away her tears, promising that things were okay.  
“I can’t go back to sleep,” Kara said, her voice hoarse as she calmed. 

“Hot chocolate always seems to help with that,” Alex said with a small smile as she moved toward the kitchen. “Hang tight for a second.”

A few minutes later, she met Kara on the couch, nursing two warm mugs. Alex passed one to Kara, watching as a little grin tugged at her features. “You added marshmallows.”

“Of course,” Alex said with a wink, sitting beside Kara and turning on the TV. Half an hour of light conversation passed before Alex noticed Kara slumping beside her, their cups discarded on the coffee table earlier.

“Come on,” Alex whispered, absentmindedly drawing circles on Kara’s back with her fingers. “It’s time to go back to sleep.”

“No,” Kara muttered, lifting her head. “ ‘m not tired.”

“Yes you are,” Alex said as Kara yawned, closing her eyes again.

“I’m scared to sleep, Alex,” she responded when Alex nudged her, avoiding the older girl’s gaze. “It was so horrible, my dream. It was awful. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think. It was so disorienting. I couldn’t do anything and you were just lying there bleeding. Until—until you died,” Kara finished, her voice cracking and falling to a whisper.

Alex could sense that Kara was close to slipping back into a frantic state and her exhaustion was only making things worse. “You need to sleep. You’re not getting enough sleep as it is on a normal night, it’s not good for you. You have to try.”

Kara sighed, her features tugging downward in a frown, eyes watery. “Will you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?” Kara asked, blush coloring her cheeks with embarrassment.  
“Of course. I’ll stay all night, if you want, in case you wake up again,” Alex said, smiling warmly. 

Kara nodded. “Thank you,” she said softly, feeling like she was more work than she was worth, as they deposited their mugs in the sink and walked to the bedroom. 

Alex waved off Kara’s thanks with a hug, promising that she’d do anything for Kara. It was never a problem. The mattress dipped slightly as Alex climbed onto the other side of the bed and wrapped a blanket around Kara, before she slipped under the covers. With a quivering breath and lips pressed tightly together, Kara lowered herself onto her pillow and closed her eyes.

“You’re safe, I’m safe. It’s all good,” Alex promised, gently running her fingers over Kara’s hair as the blonde’s breathing evened out, and she turned toward her sister.  
“All good,” Kara murmured, the presence of Alex’s arm on her shoulder, helping remind her that Alex was safe. She was okay. They were okay; sleep could come.


	2. Chapter 2 - Alex Gets Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt (KillMeToday): Alex gets shot for saving a kid and Kara takes care of her, combined with the usual fluffiness.

The details weren’t clear in Kara’s head, when she thought back to the moment, as she paced the hospital waiting room, feeling weaker and worse than she ever had, even in the presence of green kryptonite and homicidal aliens.

All she could recall were bullets and chaos and blood. So much blood. Quantities of blood like she’d never seen.

There was a child, a small boy, no older than seven years old, with sandy blond hair and big brown eyes. Kara wasn’t sure how he’d ended up as a hostage, and after everything that went down she hadn’t bothered to ask. He was trapped amidst all the gunfire and thoughtless violence; some mindless act driven by fear and desperation.

Kara and Alex had been out together, walking back to Kara’s apartment after a late dinner when the commotion started – sharp pops and bangs from inside the abandoned warehouse – both girls had rushed to investigate, to help in any why they could. God, it hadn’t even been Alex’s mission. It had nothing to do with the DEO.

A bullet had barreled in the child’s direction just seconds after Alex had spotted him. Kara, on the outside of the room, occupied with one of the criminals, didn’t see it happen, didn’t know until it was too late. But she had come to realize that Alex did what she always did. She sacrificed herself to keep someone else safe.

It wasn’t fair to wish that Alex hadn’t done it, because the kid had been saved, he and his family returned safely home, as she learned later. But dammit, by the time Kara reached Alex, the brunette was already bleeding out and Kara had no idea what to do.

“Alex,” Kara screamed as she traversed the room. The concentration of so many feelings all fizzing and swirling inside her pushed her powers, their potency escalating as her control diminished, and within seconds every criminal in her radius was knocked to the ground and rendered unconscious.

Even knowing how awful they would feel when they woke, Kara knew it wasn’t close to the ache of worry burning in her stomach.

She closed the final steps before collapsing beside Alex, sinking to her knees. The room had emptied, with the criminals unconscious and the family held hostage, fleeing onto the street, given instructions to call an ambulance and wait on the sidewalk until they arrived.

“I’m okay,” Alex said, through labored breathing and a winded voice. Her hands were pressed against her abdomen. Kara would never forget the sight of thick, crimson blood oozing between her sister’s fingers, sliding across her hand and dripping to the floor.

“Alex, you were shot,” Kara said and her words were made heavy by the lump in her throat.

“Not that bad, just need to s-stop the bleeding,” her sister replied in a strained timbre, trying to move off the ground. “Don’t try to fly me to the hospital, I don’t k-know where the bullet is and if I move wrong, I m-might mess something up. You need to change, I’m sure c-cops are on their way. If they see you with me as Supergirl they’ll- they’ll know. The family saw Kara w-walk in, they need to see her walk out… think Supergirl was someone else”

Kara didn’t want to leave Alex’s side, not for one instant, but she knew her sister was right. She changed with super speed, returning to Alex in under two seconds.

As Alex attempted to ease herself into a sitting position a hiss escaped her lips and a grimace contorted her features. Her arms wobbled from beneath her and she buckled, her head slamming against the concrete as she met the ground.

“Alex,” Kara yelled and slid closer, pulling her sister’s head into her lap.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut, blood had saturated her shirt, blossoming exponentially across the fabric. She reached blindly for Kara’s hand and Kara wrapped her fingers around her sister’s, clenching tightly and willing herself to just do something. Anything that would help Alex survive.

“Alex, I need to try to slow the bleeding, okay?”

Kara pulled off the cardigan she’d been wearing and tried to drown out Alex’s gasp of pain as Kara pushed the material against her sister's wound. All Kara could do was whisper “I’m sorry,” over and over again, the words looping from her lips as Alex writhed.

After a few seconds, Kara felt Alex’s weight grow heavier in her lap, her sister’s limbs were going limp, her skin paling, her breathing fading and her words were so soft Kara could barely make them out, even with her super hearing. “I love you,” Alex was saying. “I love you so much, Kara.”

Kara felt like she were dying. She felt like she were the one on the cold concrete floor, bleeding out and gasping for air. She felt Alex slipping away like water between her fingers and she felt like Earth was splintering right beneath her feet. “No, no, don’t you dare leave me, Alex. You cannot let go. You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex said in a shaky, breathy voice. “I should have been better, I should have done more for you, ‘specially when you first got here…”

“No, Alex you were perfect. You are so perfect. You’re the best sister I could ever have. You’re not going to die. You're not.”

“Do you love me?”

Kara nodded feverishly. “More than anything in the galaxy.”

“Then don’t lie to me and don’t lie to yourself, Kar. We both know how this could end.”

“No.” Kara shook her head, tears pouring down her face as she pushed the fabric against Alex’s abdomen, wishing there was a way to do it without inflicting so much pain.  
A sharp gasp sliced the air and Alex bit her lip. “T-tell Mom I love her, okay? Promise you’ll be there for her.”

“I promise, Alex. I promise,” Kara said, sincerity and agony carving out her words.

“And take care of yourself too, Supergirl. Don’t miss me too much. You gotta keep living. For both of us.”

“You can’t say that,” Kara cried. “You’re not going anywhere. I- I won’t let you.”

Alex smiled sadly, her eyes closing as she fought to remain conscious.

“Alex,” Kara began, softly, whispering between hiccups. “Did you- did you know, that you’re my favorite superhero?”

“Not a hero,” Alex mumbled, her words smearing together, like the blood that seemed to drench everything, and her breathing was a mess, shallow and ragged and Kara was begging the world to just let her live. Give her more air; give her more time.

“Yes you are,” Kara said. “The best one. Alex, you’re exactly the person I wanted to be when I grew up. You’re the bravest hero and the strongest one and the--”

Kara stopped, her words lost in a howl of sirens and the sound of footsteps pounding through the doorway.

“Help!” Kara called, her voice hoarse as a flurry of EMTs rushed in, surrounding the pair. When Kara looked back down, Alex’s eyes were closed, her body was entirely limp.

The next pieces were a blur. She remembered Alex being pulled away from her. She remembered screaming her throat raw and the way Alex’s blood had stood out, stark against the white of the ambulance as they tore through the streets. Kara remembered doctor's asking her if she was okay and she couldn't conjure the words to say it, so she just nodded as more tears gathered and fell and speckled the hospital’s tiled floor. 

Outside the surgical unit, in the corner of a small, empty waiting room, Kara backed into a wall, sliding until she felt the ground and curled into herself; knees pulled to her chest, head bowed downward as she sobbed. What kind of hero was she, Kara questioned, if she couldn’t even save her own sister?

She had one damn job, and she could never manage to do it right when it came to the people she loved. Her mom, her dad, the people of Krypton, Kal-El, now Alex and Eliza and Hank…. She repeated the names in her head; the list of people she’d let down. Two planets and two paths of destruction. 

Kara reached up to wipe at a tear, pausing with quivering, trembling hands as she caught sight of the crimson that stained her skin. Slowly, she looked down, to realize that her shirt was drenched in the same hue. She sat like that, petrified, gaze torn between her fingers and the fabric all bathed in red, for nearly an hour, until Hank arrived and found her in that very position. 

“Kara,” he said quietly, the sterile, white doors still swinging behind him as he knelt in front of her. 

She didn’t react to her name, didn’t register his presence until he reached out, took her blood-caked hands in his, soft and warm. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.”

It took a second, but Kara finally nodded, her gaze still far as he helped ease her into a standing position.

He washed her hands under water until she sniffled and took a hard, deep breath and managed to take over for herself. Hank leaned against the wall, watching her with concern.  
“She’s – she’s in surgery right now,” Kara said, still rubbing furiously at her hands.

Hank nodded. “I know.”

“How’d you find out about what happened?”

“You called me,” he said calmly.

She swallowed hard and vaguely pieces together a memory of trying to dial someone’s number, but struggling because her hands were shaking so badly.

Hank watched as Kara continued scrubbing her hands, her skin pink and raw. He turned the faucet off. “They’re all clean. No more blood.”

“Here, go change,” he said, producing a bag of spare clothing Alex had left at the DEO. Kara hadn’t noticed he’d been carrying it until now. “I figured you might need this."

“Thank you,” she choked out, noting, with a pang in her chest, that this probably wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this.

She emerged from the stall a moment later, clad in a black leggings and an oversized crew neck sweatshirt she recognized from a trip she and Alex had taken, years ago. It was worn and faded, but its scent and feeling reminded Kara of Alex, the softness and familiarity, and the washed-out blue of its fabric had always been Alex's favorite color.

"I need- I need to call, Eliza, too" Kara said, looking up at Hank and already dreading having to break the news to Alex's mom.

Hank nodded. "Let me take that," he said, holding the bag of clothes for her. "I can go grab us coffee and meet you back in the waiting room, if you want?"

"Okay," Kara replied with a small nod. "Thanks," she said, her voice quiet.

He rubbed her arm gently. "It's the least I can do. You hang in there." 

Kara stood, still staring down at her phone seconds after the door had closed, fearing that the conversation was so heavy it would break her all over again. 

Before she could back out, Kara dialed the number and closed her eyes. She paced the length of the room five times before Eliza’s voice came through the line.

“Eliza?” Kara asked quietly.

“Kara, is everything okay?”

Kara felt herself shaking again. “No,” she said, pausing to gain some composure. “Alex is h-hurt. She got shot.”

It was silence hung in the air, taunt and heavy. Until, at last, Eliza broke it. “Is she going to make it?” she asked and her voice was tight, cracking. 

“I don’t know,” Kara cried into the phone. “They wouldn’t tell me, no one would t-tell me anything. They t-took her into surgery as soon as we got here.”

“I’m taking the first flight over. I’ll be there as soon as I can… I”

“She wanted me to tell you that she loves you, in – in case she doesn’t get to s-say it herself.” Kara brought a loose fist up to her eyes, rubbing her tears away and she heard Eliza’s breaths turn to cries over the phone.

When she spoke again her voice was soft. “Kara,” she said. “I love you. And I love Alex. I’m on my way to the airport now.”

Kara leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Eliza said sincerely, before they exchanged their goodbyes and Kara was left in silence again. She moved out of the bathroom, her legs feeling weak and tired as she collapsed into a chair in the waiting room - waiting for Hank, waiting for Eliza, waiting for the doctors, and waiting, mostly, for Alex to pull through. 

A few minutes passed before Hank had placed a warm cup in her hands and sat beside her. Together, in silence, they waited, and Kara’s mind wandered. As a teenager, outside of school, Alex had been a little bit rough and tumble. Bold and brave and fiercely competitive with a love for contest, had landed Alex a few hospital visits, usually a result of sports injuries or adventures gone wrong. 

Kara was drawn to a specific incident. She’d only been living with the Danvers for one, maybe two years, when Alex had sustained a head injury in a rough collision during a soccer game. She’d played through the game and when it was over begged Kara, who’d been cheering from the sidelines of the high school field, not to tell Eliza or Jeremiah. Kara had agreed, unknowing of the severity of the injury and eager to make Alex happy, despite the guilt she had felt knotting in her stomach for keeping something from her foster parents.

Late that night, she’d heard Alex crying, and stumbled sleepily into Alex’s room as her sister asked her to get Eliza. Kara remembered tailing her foster mom and Alex to the hospital, staying as close to them as she could. She had been afraid of getting in the way, but even more afraid of being alone and leaving Alex. What stood out most, though, was remembering the heartbreak on Alex’s face when her mom talked with the doctor, and after diagnosing Alex with a severe concussion, determining that it was unsafe for her to continue playing. 

Kara would never forget the helplessness she’d felt, tugging inside her, as Alex seemed to wander around for days looking lost and unsure of herself.

Now, that same helplessness had settled inside Kara and it was even worse than she’d remembered, weighty and biting and magnified by the gravity of the situation.

Footsteps echoed down the hall as the door to the waiting room opened and a doctor entered. “Family of Alex Danvers?” he asked.

Kara’s head snapped up. “Over here,” she said, standing up with Hank beside her. “I’m her sister.”

“The surgery was successful,” the woman announced with a warm smile and Kara felt a smile splitting across her own face.  
“She’s going to be okay?”

The doctor nodded. “I’m confident she’ll heal completely. Your sister suffered some blood loss, but the bullet missed everything vital and we were able to remove it without complications.”

Kara shuffled anxiously and pressed her chin against her tangled fingers. “When can we see her?”

“Soon. She’s in the PACU unit being monitored by a recovery nurse. When your sister wakes up you’ll be alerted and taken back to see her. She’ll likely be tired and may experience some nausea, but she’ll be okay. I’d say with the way things have been going, she should be awake in about an hour.”

“All right,” Kara said with a nod, thanking the doctor.

She turned to Hank as soon as they were alone. “I need to call, Eliza,” she said, this time with a smile tugging at her lips. 

Kara wandered into the halls, returning a few minutes later. “She was five minutes away from boarding,” Kara told Hank when she got back. “She’s on her way now.”

“And Alex! She’s gonna be okay. She’s okay!” Kara said, jumping around Hank. He laughed quietly and smiled, glad to see their usual Kara was back. He was afraid to imagine what would have happened if things had turned out differently. He knew that same fear would come back over Kara once her initial outpour of relief passed, but for now, Kara’s relief was infectious.

“Family of Alex Danvers?” A nurse called into the room, about an hour later, after Kara had paced relentlessly, unable to keep still.

“Here,” Kara said as the nurse approached. 

The woman smiled and glanced at her clipboard. “Are you Kara?”

The blonde nodded. 

“Your sister just woke up a minute ago and she’s already asking for you.” 

Kara smiled. “So we can go back now?”

The nurse gave them a sympathetic look. “Hospital policy only allows us to permit one visitor at a time so soon after surgery.”

Hank looked at Kara. “You go. I’ll check in with you both tomorrow. Let Alex know I’m glad she’s okay.”

Kara nodded. “Thank you… for everything.”

He patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll see you two later.”

After goodbyes and exchanging the bag of Kara’s old clothes and an extra pair for Alex, Hank left and the nurse led Kara into Alex’s room. Following a small verbal set of rules, the nurse opened the door to Alex’s room and left the sister’s alone.

“Hey,” Kara said softly. 

“Hey,” Alex parroted, looking small beneath the white hospital sheets. Her hair was a bit of a mess, her eyes tired but there was a small smile on her lips and there was air filling her lungs and her heart was still beating and that, to Kara, was the most beautiful thing she could imagine.

Her sister was alive. Her Alex was alive. 

Tears filled Kara’s eyes and poured over, spilling down her cheeks to the tip of her jaw. 

“Oh, Kara, come ‘ere,” Alex said, pulling a hand out from under the sheets and stretching it toward her sister. 

Kara was by Alex’s side in an instant. She filled the bedside seat, relishing in the feeling of Alex’s arm around her and doing her best to burrow against Alex’s neck without hurting her. 

“Sorry,” Kara wheezed, her voice muffled. 

Alex squeezed her tighter. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

“I was so scared, Alex. I was so scared I thought you were going to die.”

“Shh, I know, I know.” Alex brushed away Kara’s tears before wiping at her own. “I was scared, too,” Alex admitted and Kara pulled back to look at her sister. She brushed Alex’s hair behind her ear and took Alex’s face into her hands. 

“I’m so happy you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Alex smiled and it changed the path of the salty tears pooling from her eyes and clinging to her lashes. “Back at ya, Sister.”

Kara laughed and Alex tried not to, because she didn’t want to hurt her side, so she just smiled at Kara. “I love you,” she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion. 

“I love you, too,” Kara said and fixed the sheets around Alex before gently stroking her sister’s hair. “Go back to sleep,” she instructed softly. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”  
Alex nodded, leaning into Kara’s touch and whispering sweet murmurs, with painkiller and fatigue influenced candor, about how lucky and happy she was to be alive.


	3. Chapter 3 - Kara Returns & Saves Alex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt (diya.mehta2): Kara has disappeared for two months and is presumed to be dead, but she's in Barry's Earth (the deo didn't know that) and returns just in time as Alex is about to get killed by an alien. Then some Kara Alex bonding.

Alex’s heart was beating, pounding against the slick pavement as destruction and chaos rained upon the darkened alley. The air was heavy with humidity and the two other agents sent with her to detain the alien threat had already been discarded by the creature, tossed to the ground a distance away from her. Pain screamed in her side and her head pounded, and combined with their distance, she was unable to determine if they were dead or unconscious. 

Her orders were to remain out of the alien’s sight until backup from the DEO arrived, so, as the creature sought Alex out, she pressed herself between the street and a dumpster, and tried not to think about the sick feeling in her stomach that tonight could, quite easily, be the night she died. 

Backup units were still far, the DEO had been overwhelmed with crises and threats since Supergirl’s disappearance two months ago. Violence had wracked the city and the DEO was barely able to keep things under control. 

She heard the alien’s footsteps clattering against the street as her mind reeled through the events of the previous two months. Kara’s disappearance had been abrupt and unpredicted. Everything had appeared normal one evening as she left the DEO, flying off into the night. The first sign of her disappearance had occurred the next morning when Kara didn’t show up at CatCo Media, and then failed to attend a meeting with the DEO. 

Within a few days the missed phone calls had piled up and Alex was left with no response, only the simple greeting of Kara’s voicemail. There were no answers, no leads, no clues, hints, or indications. Just the stark black and white hues of there one day and gone the next. And the long, painful seconds merged and mounded into minutes into hours turned weeks to months. 

Alex’s thoughts halted, she peered out from a gap between the wall and trashcans, the alien was still temporarily dulled by the earlier shots she’d sent in its direction. 

She pressed herself back against the red brick of the building behind her, thinking about Kara again and the days that had stretched by in her absence. Kara was presumed dead and Alex was reminded of it every day—by empty halls in the DEO and quiet apartments and the constant cycle of news playing across every TV screen in the city. Reporters asking the same question Alex asked herself every morning and night and all the time in between: where was Supergirl?

Because despite everything, no one really wanted to believe she was gone. Alex wouldn’t – couldn’t – believe Kara was dead.

There was a loud crack in the street, reverberating through the ground and shaking Alex to her bones. A few moments passed and Alex saw the alien’s shadow approaching. She closed her eyes and moved slightly, trying to shake out the pain shooting from her clavicle to her abdomen. There was no way back up would be there in time. 

Alex checked the special gun the DEO had designed, created specifically to target the alien’s super strength and penetrate its rubbery skin. The serum’s elements were highly concentrated with hopes that it would still be effective despite the alien’s large size. 

It had worked, at first. Sort of. 

The alien had been temporarily stunned, but it was fine now, and approaching Alex. Quickly. 

And shit her gun was almost empty. 

Alex ran a hand over her face ignoring the pain that radiated through her side. She moved into a crouching position, angling her gun at the creature and sucking in a deep breath.   
She only had one shot, but maybe one shot would be enough. 

Her heart was a metronome set on high as she curled her finger around the trigger and pulled hard. 

On impact, the alien froze, before yanking the injection from its chest and throwing the device. The capsule landed with a clatter, splashing water from the pavement as the alien threat turned toward Alex. 

She tossed her gun at its face, hurling the machine with as much force as possible before scrambling from the nook against the wall and into the street. She pushed herself up, slipping against the pavement. 

Then a hand was on her body, shoving her down. Gravel bit into her palms and knees. With a kick to her stomach she collapsed and hit the street, tasting blood. Her ears rung and she struggled to sit up. 

Another kick sent her back down and the alien towered above her. Alex wondered if Kara had felt the same way facing death. If she had known it was coming. 

The agent closed her eyes and felt the creature’s breath on her skin, hot and horrid, like it was encompassing her. A slap rang through the air and the feeling disappeared, the cool night air regaining its space around her. 

Alex’s eyes snapped open.

She saw it. Saw her.

Supergirl. Flying. Supergirl breathing, Supergirl throwing the alien against the ground with so much force that the pavement buckled. 

Alex was convinced she was dead and yet, a sliver of hope was eking itself into sunlight. 

With wobbling arms she eased herself into a sitting position. Supergirl had defeated the alien, rendering it unconscious with a few sharp, well placed blows. 

Meanwhile, Alex raised a hand to her head, feeling around for an injury that would offer an explanation to the things she was seeing; to Kara kneeling over her, gently lowering Alex so her head was cradled in Kara’s lap. 

“Hey, Alex, are you okay?” Kara asked and her voice was so concerned and so… so real. That Alex felt tears pricking in her eyes because she missed Kara so much. 

“Kara?” she choked. 

“Yeah, Alex. It’s me, it’s me. I’m here.”

Alex shook her head. “You’re dead. Everyone said that you died.”

“No, I just… It’s complicated. You remember The Flash? I got pulled over to his Earth. It’s okay though, they figured out how to get me back here. I can explain more later.”

Alex bit her lip and reached out touching Kara’s face then moving her fingers to curl around a piece of Kara’s hair. A smile cracked across Alex’s face and she laughed for the first time in months. “It’s really you. Oh my God, it’s you.”

Alex pulled away and sat up, the ache of her injuries dulled entirely by the relief and jubilance alive in her veins. She tugged Kara into a hug, sinking into the feeling of Kara’s heart and the movement of her lungs – filling her with air, filling her with life. 

It’s how the DEO found them, ten minutes later when back up finally arrived. The sisters stayed close together as medics examined Alex, diagnosing her with a broken clavicle and bruised rib in addition to some other scrapes and bumps. 

Alex managed to talk her way out of a hospital visit and the girls found themselves in Alex’s apartment half an hour later with pizza and doughnuts.

“I can’t believe you’re really back,” Alex said as she eased herself into a seat at her kitchen counter. 

“It’s good to be here. I missed you so much. It was crazy,” Kara said and took a bite out of her doughnut. 

“God, life was terrible without you, Kara. I mean it was awful. Some of the worst two months of my life.” Alex put her pizza down and pushed it away, pulling a hand through her hair. 

“Well I’m here to stay. Barry still didn’t figure out exactly how it happened. I got pulled over with him somehow. I spent every second there try to get back here. I was never going to leave you.”

Kara saw the corners of Alex’s lips pull downward and she knew her sister was about to cry. Maybe words weren’t what Alex needed right now. 

Kara slipped from her chair and wrapped her arms around Alex, pulling her into a hug that was simultaneously the softest and tightest embrace Alex had ever felt. 

Finally, all at once, every worry, every wound up ache inside her broke out, manifesting in sobs and tears that wet Kara’s light pink shirt. The brunette hiccupped and gasped as Kara kissed her hair and rubbed her back. 

“I-I never told Eliza that you were gone,” Alex admitted. “I hadn’t done it yet, because I c-couldn’t believe it. I woul-wouldn’t believe you were gone.”

“And you were right,” Kara said with a smile. “You were right and everything’s okay.”

Alex nodded, pulling away from Kara and making a futile attempt to wipe her eyes. Kara squeezed her sister’s hand and tried to hide a yawn. 

“Tired?” Alex asked, already moving out of the chair. 

“A little.”

Alex wrapped an arm around Kara, keeping her close against her side. “Me too.”

“Oh, right! Alex, you’re supposed to be getting rest because of all your injuries. I promised the medics I’d take care of you.”

Alex smiled slightly. “I’m fine. It’s no big deal.”

Kara rolled her eyes and led her sister to the couch, sitting and curling beside her. “That’s ridiculous.”

Alex shook her head. The pain meds she’d received earlier were making her languid and fatigued, her eyes drooping as she fought sleep. She didn’t want their conversation to end; didn’t want to miss a single second of being near Kara. She wanted to spend every moment possible soaking up her sister’s presence: her appearance and her voice and her words. 

Instead, Alex felt her eyes close as she leaned against Kara and slipped her fingers around Kara’s hand, with every intention to hold it throughout the night just to make sure Kara didn’t fade away; just to make sure she was real.


	4. Chapter 4 - Medical Check Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt (Guest): Kara scared about her medical checkup and Alex staying with her through it

Kara had been missing for fifty two hours, held captive by anti-alien conspiracists when the DEO was able to recover her. 

The criminals were quickly detained, leaving the agents to search the dark halls of the basement for Supergirl. She was located within a few minutes, in the corner of a dank room, housing green kryptonite. The floor was coated in thick layers of dust, the air sharp with cold. 

Kara was a weak, shaking, shivering mess when the agents approached. 

“Alex…” she choked out, squinting into the brightness of the agent’s flashlights. “I need Alex,” she murmured.

“I’m here,” a voice called from the doorway. “I’m right here,” Alex said, kneeling beside Kara, putting a hand on each of the girl’s trembling shoulders. 

Kara peeked her eyes open and gave a heavy sigh of relief when she saw Alex was really there. 

“Alex,” she whispered again and made a shaky move to stand up. Instead, she barely stood a foot until she collapsed back down, Alex’s arm grabbed her, holding her up before she hit the ground. 

Kara pulled her eyes shut and wheezed out a breath, her heartrate speeding. 

“Kara?”

“I’m okay. I’m okay. I just—” she trailed off and Alex rubbed her shoulder.

“I can stand,” Kara said, easing herself up slowly and more carefully than the first time. Alex rose with her, offering support and helping keep Kara steady. 

“Thanks,” Kara murmured, leaning against Alex. 

The older sister nodded and tightened her grip, noting the way Kara clung to her. The need seemed more than physical, there was an anxiety, a nervousness that was driving Kara closer. “You okay to walk?”

Kara gave a soft ‘yeah’ in response, flinching as an agent stepped close by. Alex’s eyes flicked toward the movement and she furrowed her brows in concern.

She waved the rest of the agents out of the room, until it was just the two of them and Kara seemed to calm considerably. 

“What happened?” Alex asked gently as they made their way through the door and out into the hall.

“Nothing,” Kara said. “Just tired after everything that happened. I don’t know how they got it, but there was so much green kryptonite and I -- I was afraid I was going to die. Just when I thought I was going to die, they- they took away, only to bring it back before I could recover com – completely. There was so much and I couldn’t do anything.”

Alex hated the strain in Kara’s voice, the way each word was followed by a breathy gasp. She wished there was a way to just hug Kara so tightly everything would go away. “Alex, I don’t feel good,” Kara said, and the quiver in her voice told Alex her sister was about to cry.

She knew it was the fatigue, the painful effects of the green kryptonite, and stress of the situation that were pulling on Kara, all adding up and making the girl feel miserable.

“I know,” Alex said, gently stroking Kara’s arm as they climbed the stairs, and pressing a quick kiss to her hair. “We’re almost out of here. You’ll feel better once we’re away from all this stuff.”

“Okay,” Kara responded, soothed by Alex’s tone.

They emerged from the building moments later, a fatigued and languid Kara could barely keep her eyes open as she stumbled out the door and doctors began to make their way over.

“The medics are going to check you over before we do anything else.”

Kara’s head snapped up, moving off of Alex’s shoulder. “No,” she said, shaking her head, eyes wide. “I’m fine.”

“Kara,” Alex said softly. “You’re not fine. You’re limping, you wince anytime something brushes your side, you can barely stay standing, and you were just exposed to kryptonite for a potentially fatal amount of time.

“Don’t wanna do it,” Kara muttered and turned to bury her head against Alex’s shoulder.

“Kara,” Alex huffed, pulling away slightly. 

Kara just moved closer. “Please, Alex. Please don’t make me do it.”

The desperation and fear lacing Kara’s words made Alex pause and tell the doctors to hold for a minute. Kara wasn’t trying to be difficult. She was scared. Her pulse was racing, her breath warm and quick against Alex’s neck, and tears pricking at the corner of her eyes as Kara fought to keep them at bay.

“Please,” she whispered again, making Alex hug her close and rub her back in slow, soothing circles.

“Hey, no one’s going to hurt you. Not anymore,” Alex said. “The doctors are just going to help you feel better and make sure everything’s okay.”

Kara sobbed in reply and Alex knew there was more behind this, more thoughts and fears bubbling over, stimulated by her kidnapping and the hurt that was left in response.  
“I’ll be right there with you the whole time,” Alex promised and raised a hand to stroke Kara’s hair.

“You will?” Kara asked, sniffling and pulling back enough to look up at Alex.

“Of course,” Alex said with a smile that gave Kara the strength to wipe her tears.

Alex led them over the emergency medical vehicle the DEO had designed specifically for Supergirl. Within a second, the doctors were buzzing around Kara, moving her onto a stretcher and hooking her up to various machines. Kara recoiled with each movement. It was too much. Loud clangs filled the air and strict voices spoke medical jargon foreign to her ears. Doctors bustled around and a tangle of wires formed a web around her. The horrible, suffocating feeling that she was drowning and helpless fell over her and she was back to the night the criminals had emerged from the darkness, weakening her with Green K before taking her away.

It was like she couldn’t see; couldn’t breathe.

“Heartrate increasing,” Kara heard, but the voice sounded jumbled and distant and she felt herself slipping deeper. 

Everything was cold. And then breaking through, was a little bit of warmth, a comforting present wrapping around her hand and squeezing gently; and Alex’s voice peeked through the darkness, telling the doctors to slow down; telling Kara everything was all right.

Once everything stopped moving so fast, Kara opened her eyes and saw Alex smiling at her. “You’re okay,” Alex said. “Still right here.”

Kara nodded and managed a small smile, coming back down. It was silent for a few moments before Kara spoke up. “When this is over, can we just sit on my couch and watch movies for, like, a year?”

Alex laughed and ran her hand up and down Kara’s arm. “Sure,” she said. “It’s your pick, sister. But after all the rest I’m going to make sure you get, I don’t know if you’ll want to sit any longer.”

Kara gave an exaggerated groan.

“It’s ‘cause I love you,” Alex said. 

Kara wrinkled her nose. “I love you too, even when you make me follow every single instruction from doctors.”

Alex smirked, pulling Kara into a quick hug, around all the wires and doctors. “I’m glad you’re okay and I’m glad you’re coming home, safe and sound,” the oldest Danvers sister whispered. 

“Me too,” Kara said softly. “Thanks for coming and getting me.”

“Always,” Alex said and Kara felt incredibly and impossibly lucky to have a sister like her.


	5. Chapter 5 - Kara Gets Injured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt (Anna): Kara gets injured badly during a Supergirl fight and Alex being the overprotective and caring older sister

“Are you sure you’re okay, Kara?” Alex asked as they slowed to a stop at a red light. 

Alex looked over at her sister, slumped in the passenger seat with her head pressed against the glass. Kara muttered out a yes, hissing slightly as she tried to readjust her position. 

“Kara,” Alex said sternly, reluctantly pulling her eyes off the blonde when the light turned green.

“I’m fine, Lexie. Please, can we just go home?” Kara tilted her head back, pressing it against her seat and breathing slowly. 

“I really wish you would have let us check you out more thoroughly.”

Kara tentatively shook her head, trying not to agitate the pounding that pulsated through her brain. “They’re busy with the prisoners. All my vitals are okay.”

Alex’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “Yeah, but, Kara, you blew out your powers again, and this time it was in the middle of a fight. I know you say you’re okay, but you’re always saying you’re okay, even when you’re not and -- ”

“Alex, please,” Kara pleaded, half groan, half wince – laced with enough desperation and pain that Alex had to fight the instinct urging her to turn back and drive straight to the DEO, but the rational part of her was loud enough to keep the car moving steadily toward Kara’s apartment. After the last incident, Alex had worked to develop a drug that would hopefully restore Kara’s powers quicker than the first time. Until it started affecting her system, they would just have to wait it out.

The medics had reassured Alex (at least five times) that none of Kara’s injuries were life threatening. Sure, they were going to hurt like hell, but once Kara got her powers back the fractures and gashes and bruises would heal quickly. So Alex had been instructed to take care of Kara and contact the DEO if there were any drastic changes in her condition.

 

Alex reached out, taking Kara’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“We’re almost home,” the older sister promised and Kara nodded with closed eyes. 

Alex opened her mouth to say something else but decided against it. Kara already knew that Alex wanted them to go back to the DEO, and one look at Kara’s face told Alex that her sister didn’t need to hear it. Nor, did it look like Kara would even register the words. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth and she bit down hard. Her head was cradled in her right hand, while her left hand, beneath a splint and series of bandages, was gingerly pressed against her stomach. 

Alex’s hand covered Kara’s left one, gently brushing Kara’s warm skin with her thumb, through the wrap. “Ready?” Alex asked as she pulled up to the entrance of Kara’s apartment building.

“Need to park first,” Kara mumbled sleepily.

“I know,” Alex said. “I’ll drop you off and you can wait in the lobby so you don’t have to walk from the parking garage. I’ll be back in less than five minutes.”4

Kara shook her head, sniffling slightly. “It’s only a block away. I wanna stay with you.”

“I know, but you’re not really in the position to walk right now. It’s only going to make things hurt more.”

“I don’t care,” Kara said. 

“Okay,” Alex sighed and moved her hand to rub Kara’s shoulder softly as she pulled back into the street.

A few minutes later Alex parked the car, glancing over to find Kara asleep, curled loosely in the passenger seat. Alex smiled at her little sister for a moment, mind filling with memories of road trips and early morning rides to high school. On road trips especially, Kara’s excitement would hype her up, she’d talk a mile a minute, gazing out the window – enamored by the world. Even at six in the morning or eleven thirty at night, after hours of driving, Kara was awake with eyes full of wonder and head full of thoughts. Sometimes, Kara’s zeal at ungodly hours had earned her a pillow in the face from Alex or a groan of ‘shut up,’ but it was always good natured, tending to encourage Kara’s rants rather than stop them.

The sight of her little sister asleep in the car pulled a smile across Alex’s face as she opened Kara’s door, affectionately combing a hand through Kara’s hair. Sleepy Kara always reminded Alex of just-landed-on-Earth Kara, and it made the older Danvers sister feel all warm and fuzzy inside and overwhelmed with the impulse to keep Kara safe.

Alex leaned closer to Kara. “We’re here, baby. Time to get up.”

Kara stirred slightly, eyes opening with a sharp intake of breath as her body stiffened. 

“Alex,” she groaned. 

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m right here,” Alex said, kneeling beside the open door. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Alex stood up and stroked Kara’s hair. “That’s not entirely uncommon with fractures, and you’ve racked up a few of those today. Do you think you can make it or do you want to stay here for a while?”

Kara sniffled again. “I can do it,” she said as she pulled her head off Alex’s side and made a shaky, but successful, attempt to ease herself out of the seat.

“Come on, my sweet baby sister,” Alex said, holding her arm open, allowing Kara to tuck herself beneath it and lean against her. 

Alex locked the car, tapping the door closed before leading Kara through the parking garage. 

As they approached Kara’s apartment, her labored breathing filled the silent hall. Alex cringed as her sister took in a slow, painful breath followed by a suppressed whimper.   
“It’s the broken rib,” Alex explained, reverting to science and facts in an attempt to help rationalize her concern. “Breathing’s going to hurt a bit until you get your powers back. I have some pain meds from the DEO that should make you feel a little better.”

Kara nodded weakly and made the final four steps to reach her apartment. 

“Touchdown,” Alex said as she helped Kara onto the couch, pulling a small smile out of her little sister. “You stay right here, I’ll be back in a minute.”

Alex began to stand up from the coffee table when Kara reached out and grabbed Alex’s shirt. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” Alex hesitated for a moment before she gently pulled Kara’s hand off her shirt and gave it a soft squeeze. 

She returned a moment later, arms overflowing with the various supplies she’d gathered from Kara’s apartment and her own bag. “Take these,” Alex said, extending a few white pills to Kara and a glass of water.

She watched as Kara swallowed the medicine and handed the cup to Alex, slowly leaning back into the couch. “There’s not much we can do for the broken rib,” Alex said. “But some ice should help.”

After spending a full minute making sure the ice was perfectly settled on Kara’s rib, Alex stepped back. “That feel okay?”

Kara offered a nod, her eyes drooping. 

“And your wrist is still wrapped up?”

Kara responded with another nod. 

“Anything else I can do to help?”

“You can get over here. I want my sister Alex, no more doctor Alex,” Kara murmured. “You could also bring a blanket. The fuzzy blue one. With polka dots,” Kara added with a small smile. 

Alex rolled her eyes and returned Kara’s smile. She grabbed the requested blanket and sat down beside her sister. 

Immediately, Kara snuggled against Alex, ignoring the pain in her ribs in favor of cuddling as close to her sister as possible. She was practically half on Alex when the oldest Danvers laughed, brows furrowed and a smirk tugging across her lips. 

“Kara, what are you doing?” Alex asked, running a hand through her sister’s blonde hair. 

“Tryin’ to get closer to you,” she mumbled as though it were obvious, her voice muffled by Alex’s shoulder.

“Then get over here. Just be careful not to hurt yourself, please,” Alex said with a grin at Kara’s sleepy clinginess, wondering just how strong those pain meds were. 

“Oh, perfect,” Alex said when Kara had, quite literally, positioned herself on Alex’s lap. With a soft laugh, Alex placed her chin on top of Kara’s head. Kara sunk back against her sister with a soft sigh and covered Alex’s hands with her good one, where they were resting across her stomach, keeping the ice in place.

“Still feel like you’re going to throw up?”

Kara nodded. “A little,” she said, making a move to turn toward Alex and nestle against her. She winced sharply, freezing mid twist.

Alex felt concern growing heavier inside her. “Hey,” she said softly. “What’s wrong?”

Kara had put on a brave face at the DEO as the medics checked her out; kept herself together as they wrapped, stitched, and bandaged her up. But Alex was her safe place. Alone with just her sister, Kara could unravel. She didn’t have to be bulletproof. She didn’t have to be made of steel. She just had to be Kara. And with Alex, it was okay if Kara shook and cried and didn’t seem so perfect. It was okay if she broke a little, because Alex always knew how to put her back together. The medicine was making her tired and vulnerable and honest; and her voice was breathy and on the brink of tears, as she choked out a soft, “It hurts.”

Alex frowned and tucked some hair behind Kara’s ear. “I know. But you’ll feel better soon,” Alex soothed. “Can you show me where?”

“It hurts here the most,” Kara mumbled, motioning to her left side with a weak gesture.

Alex moved out from beneath her sister, careful not to jar Kara or aggravate her injures any further.

“Here?” Alex asked, kneeling in front of Kara, hand hovering over the ice.

The blonde nodded, chewing on her bottom lip as she fought the tears pooling in her eyes.

Alex gently moved the ice off Kara, discarding it on the other side of the couch. She looked up at her little sister, heart breaking at the pain etched across Kara’s features. 

“I’m going to lift up your shirt and take a look, okay?”

“Okay,” Kara said with a sniffle.

Alex pulled up the navy fabric, suppressing a grimace at the red and blue bruise that bloomed across Kara’s side, expanding beyond her broken rib and reaching down toward her hip. On her lower right abdomen, stitches stood out against another group of contusions. 

Alex lightly traced the discolored area, swallowing away the memories of Kara collapsing, falling as her powers gave out and the prisoners advanced on her. “Kara, why didn’t you tell the medics about this?”

“They saw it,” Kara managed to get out, glancing down at her stomach before looking away and swallowing hard. “It didn’t look like that.”

“Sometimes it takes a while for bruises to show up, especially if the injury’s deeper. Oh, Kara, how did this happen?” Alex breathed out in a sigh and Kara wasn’t quite sure which thing she was referring to, so she stayed quiet and shrugged as best she could.

Alex moved her hand to another contusion as guilt knotted in her stomach. 

Kara gasped, suddenly flinching back.

Alex pulled her hand away as if she’d been burned. “Kara, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, it’s okay,” Kara reassured her. “It just tickled and then I got squirmy.”

Alex looked unconvinced, guilt evident on her features. “I’m going to get you some more ice, for the other side. Then I’ll call the DEO, see if there’s any other medicine I can give you. Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?” Alex rambled, beginning to pace around the coffee table. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to make anything?”

“Alex.” 

“I could get you something to drink? Pajamas. Pajamas might make you feel better. I could --”

“Alex.”

“ – I could put on a movie, it might help distract you. Or I can –”

“Alex!” 

The brunette finally paused, changing direction mid step to face Kara.

“You’re totally freaking out and it’s starting to freak me out too. I’m fine,” she said from the couch. “I think the medicine’s starting to work. It doesn’t hurt as much.”

Alex had a hand tangled in her hair, eyes wide with concern, brows pulling down. “Really?”

Kara nodded eagerly. “See,” Kara said as she straightened up. “I can breathe like a normal person.” She took a deep breath, wincing slightly at the end. “… well, mostly like a normal person. But it’s getting better and I can’t even feel my wrist.”

Alex exhaled slowly. “You’re sure you’re doing better?”

“Yeah,” Kara said, trying to ignore the pain throbbing in her side and do her best to put a smile on her face, but Alex easily saw through it.   
“It still hurts, though?” Alex said softly, more a statement than a question.

The blonde gave a small nod, averting her eyes. 

“How ‘bout we get you to bed?” Alex said with a sympathetic smile, pulling herself together and watching briefly as the sun began to dip below the horizon. 

Kara responded with a meek yawn, pulling the blanket tighter around her body.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Alex eased her sleepy sister off the couch, steering her unsteady, battered limbs to the bedroom. It took a few minutes, some minor struggles, and a bit of colorful language from the eldest sister, but eventually Alex had helped Kara change into pajamas and settled her on the bed with a mountain of pillows situated behind her. 

“Good?”

“Mhmm,” Kara mumbled, eyes already closed. “You’re staying, right?”

“Of course,” Alex said and climbed into bed. Somehow, with as little movement as possible and without opening her eyes, Kara managed to press herself against Alex’s side, letting out a sigh of content when Alex wrapped an arm around her.

Alex hadn’t even finished running through the events of the day before Kara fell asleep. Alex looked at her sister, a shuddery breath escaped the brunette’s lips and that’s when she began to cry. 

Hot and heavy tears pooled in her eyes, slipped over, and fell into her sister’s blonde hair. Tears that Alex hadn’t even know she’d been holding back. 

Alex Danvers didn’t cry often, but when she did, she cried hard.

So hard, that she had to move off the bed, slipping out from under Kara and disappearing into the living room where she sunk to the floor; how close they’d been to losing Kara finally catching up with the agent.

It was dark outside when Alex managed to reign in her tears, hiccupping softly as she pushed herself off the ground and wiped her eyes. She went to check on Kara, sliding back beside the girl and readjusting the blankets so Kara was tucked in.

Subconsciously, Kara gravitated toward Alex, seeking out her sister’s warmth. 

Kara peeked into awareness, looking up at Alex and instantly noting her red eyes and the soft tremble of her lip. Kara knew exactly what that meant.

“You’ve been crying,” she said quietly, immediately reaching out and brushing the last few tears off Alex’s cheeks.

Alex captured Kara’s hand in her own, giving it a soft squeeze and memorizing the feeling of Kara’s warm, soft skin and the rhythmic beat of her pulse. “Don’t worry about it. I’m okay,” Alex whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

“Did something bad happen?” Kara asked, her voice and eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“No, sweetie. Nothing else. I was just worried about you.” Alex ran a hand through Kara’s hair, internalizing the ache she felt at the bruises and cuts on Kara’s face.

“Oh.” Kara made a soft noise and snuggled against Alex. “Well you don’t need to worry, ‘cause I’m always good when I’m with you.”

Alex buried her face in Kara’s hair, willing herself not to cry at Kara’s medicine and sleep induced sweet words. “I love you, baby girl.” 

“I love you, too,” Kara parroted back. “Don’t worry about me.”

Alex pulled back slightly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Kara’s ear. “Impossible,” she promised, and saw Kara was already asleep against her.


	6. Chapter 6 - Alex Killed Astra Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt (Kakashi316): An aftermath of between Kara and Alex after Alex told Kara she killed Astra.

It was after the typical buzz of the DEO had thinned and Hank had left, that Kara loosened her grip on Alex.

The brunette responded by squeezing Kara tighter, letting out another soft sob.

“Oh, Alex,” Kara breathed quietly, tugging her sister back into a firm embrace. Alex hiccupped quietly. Her fingers were still curled into loose fists, one of them half tangled in Kara’s hair. She was warm and tangible in Kara’s arms, her stomach heaving against Kara with every sharp and shuddery breath, gasping for air. 

Inside Kara, a thousand emotions were rising, fighting each other for dominance, but she couldn’t sort them out, couldn’t determine how she was supposed to feel. The only thing she knew for sure was that the sight of Alex crying and falling apart in front of Kara was enough to outweigh the confusion and hurt and anger simmering in the blonde.

Minutes passed before Alex’s tears slowed and faded into a small series of sniffles. She pulled back, immediately dropping her head and shoving a hand across her cheeks in an attempt to erase the tear tracks that stained her skin. 

She stole a glance at Kara and it was impossible for the younger sister to ignore the way the harsh lights of the DEO caught the tear tracks shining across Alex’s face.   
“Come on,” Kara said, taking Alex’s hand in her own. “Let’s go somewhere better than this.”

She led her sister through halls of the DEO, turning and moving until they were outside. 

“Wanna fly?” Kara asked and Alex gave a pitiful, minute nod. 

It was strange, Kara thought, as she pushed off the ground, to see Alex so distraught and meek. It was like seeing a dead tree with its branches bare in the middle of autumn, with everything so typically vibrant and fierce.

They were so close together that Kara barely had to use her super hearing to listen to Alex’s heart rate slow and even out as they dipped across the city. The wind was blowing in Alex’s ears, making it impossible to hear anything else, but if she paid attention she swore she could feel Kara’s own heart beating. Alex swallowed hard, guilt was weighty in her stomach and just wanted Kara to understand why she’d done everything.

It’d been a long time since Alex had flown with Kara, and she’d forgotten how much she liked it. The air was cool on her face and from so high up, everything seemed small and perfect. Kara was holding Alex tightly and the proximity was grounding her. 

They flew through the city and keep moving until buildings merged and morphed into twinkling lights and golden windows and black silhouettes on a midnight blue sky.  
Finally Kara slowed and Alex felt her shoes press into soft grass as Kara lowered them to the ground. 

Alex immediately recognized the area – a small mountain on the outskirts of National City. Kara used to come there when she was overwhelmed or conflicted, even before she became Supergirl. During a particularly bad day, when Kara had shut down and shut her sister out, Alex had followed Kara up the mountain, tracked down her car where it was left on the side of the dirt road and found Kara sitting under a tree, looking out at National City. It’d become their place after that. Despite the darkness of night and Alex’s months since visiting, she still knew the land, could walk to the tree blindfolded if she had to. 

They sat cross-legged in the grass leaning against the tree, an uncharacteristic gap between them screaming in the stagnant, silent night.

Alex turned to Kara, the light of the moon reflecting in her hair. “Kara, I’m really sorry this had to happen.”

The brunette watched, throat tight as Kara took a deep breath. When she faced Alex, there were tears sparkling in the younger sister’s eyes. “You’re my sister and I love you so much, Alex. I know that there’s… there’s more to family than just blood. You’ve shown me that. But when Astra died, I felt like…”

“…like you lost your ties to Krypton?” Alex tried when Kara trailed off and broke eye contact.

Kara shook her head, looking down again. “Maybe, sort of, but it was more than that. It was like watching my planet burn all over again. It was like having stupid, blind hope only to have it ripped away in a matter of days.” She sniffled and wiped her nose absentmindedly with the back of her hand, appearing so much to Alex like a little kid. “Astra was family. She was the only one I had left,” Kara paused, giving a small hiccup. “I feel like I’m losing everyone, Alex” Kara admitted, her voice cracking in a horrible cry.

Alex felt like she’d been punched. Her stomach twisted and she had to fight the urge to cry with Kara, because Alex wasn’t enough. How could she be, when Kara’s life had been perfect until it was all torn apart and she was sent spiraling toward earth carrying such a heavy burden?

“I know we’re not your family from Krypton,” Alex began, “and I know maybe we’re not enough or everything you need us to be but---”

“That’s not true,” Kara interjected, a sudden fierceness in her words. Alex looked up, saw Kara shaking her head. “You’re wrong. You’re so wrong. You and Eliza and Jeremiah are the best thing that’s happened to me on Earth and you have never let me down. Not ever. You were better than anything I could have ever asked for…”

Alex shook her head, wiping away tears as guilt swelled in her chest. “Kara, don’t say that. I don’t deserve for you to be so nice.”

“Alex, you have to understand, this isn’t your fault. I forgive you. I realized that my… my anger was just a mask for all the pain and the hurt I’ve been feeling for all these years and when I saw Astra lying there dying on the ground, all that grief just resurfaced…”

Without thought, Alex closed the space between them, wrapping Kara in the warmest, biggest hug she’d felt in a long time. Alex pulled Kara impossibly closer, rocking them softly in the grass under the bright, full moon. 

“I’m so sorry,” Alex whispered into Kara’s blonde hair. 

Kara shook her head, burying closer against her sister. “It’s so hard to live without them,” she muttered against Alex’s collarbone. “It’s so hard sometimes.”

Alex rubbed a hand across her own forehead, frowning as she squeezed Kara. “I know. I know and I’m so sorry,” Alex said quietly, repeating it over and over again.  
“I’m not alone though?” Kara said, a question more than a statement.

“No,” Alex muttered against Kara, looking out at the city, its lights sparkling and mixing with the stars in the sky. “Never alone,” she promised.


End file.
